Hell's Kitchen

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine calls this downtown basement restaurant's Hell-a-Dazzle takeover an annual tradition, one the restaurant's own team has marked with anniversary posts dating back several years. Every inch of the room fills with Christmas bling assembled by the employee owners, the signature 35-foot Bloody Mary and mimosa bar turns into an ice themed display, and the kitchen adds festive food and drink specials through early January. Order from the seasonal drink specials and stick around for the live music the magazine notes runs on select dates. The takeover runs from late November into the second week of January most years.

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Hell's Kitchen is a downtown all-day breakfast fixture with a subterranean dining room and an expansive morning menu. Minnesota Star Tribune's downtown guide points diners toward its eggs, pancakes, porridge, and house specialties, including lemon-ricotta hotcakes. The Ninth Street location is independent and locally owned despite sharing its name with unrelated restaurants elsewhere.

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